WORLD FOOD DAY THEME 1997: "INVESTING IN FOOD SECURITY"

ROME, 26 February -- "Investing in Food Security" will be
the theme of this year's World Food Day, the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today.

The role of investment in agriculture was stressed by the
World Food Summit in November 1996. In the Summit's Global
Plan of Action, governments unanimously agreed that
incentives and policies should be created to encourage
private and public investment to contribute to food
security.

Most of the investments needed to feed a rapidly growing
population will be made by the farmers themselves, according
to FAO. Agriculture-related investment in developing
countries will need to increase from its current US$ 135
billion to $166 billion per year. The major part of the
extra $ 31 billion required annually would, according to
FAO, come from farmers investing their own labour and funds
in land improvement, new machines, irrigation, livestock
herds and plantations, and in the post-production chain.

Of the remainder, representing an additional US$ 12
billion per year, some $ 7 billion, would need to come from
governments, and the remaining $ 5 billion from
international financing sources.

"In 1996, the World Food Summit focused public attention
on the plight of over 800 million people around the world
who suffer from chronic undernutrition. In 1997, we are
moving on to solutions. Particularly at national levels
World Food Day provides an important opportunity to promote
those solutions", FAO stated.

A public information campaign, including concerts and
fund raising activities for projects in low-income
food-deficit countries will lead up to the World Food Day.

World Food Day, marking the founding of FAO on 16 October
1945 in Quebec City, Canada, is observed annually in about
140 countries and is designed to raise public awareness on
the problem of hunger and malnutrition and their solutions.